Litchfield man facing child porn charges released on $200,000 bond

By Daniela Forte

Friday, December 7, 2012

LITCHFIELD >> Richard Doyle, the 63-year-old Taft School theater teacher and Litchfield resident arrested on federal child pornography charges Tuesday was released on a $200,000 bond as the result of a bond hearing Friday morning.

According to Tom Carson, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Connecticut, the bond was partially secured by family members, and Doyle must live with a brother into whose custody he was released.

Doyle, whose arrest was based on his alleged online sharing of photos of naked young males with their genitals clearly visible, must not have any access to the Internet or any device that can access the Internet, Carson said in an e-mail.

Additionally, Carson said, Doyle's brother was ordered to keep any Internet accessible devices password protected, with passwords that cannot be shared with Doyle. His home confinement will be monitored by the U.S. Probation Office.

Carson explained that a trial schedule will not be set until the defendant is indicted by a grand jury. Doyle hasn't been indicted, but was arrested on a complaint, which is signed by a judge.

After the arrest Tuesday of Doyle, a well-known fixture in the community theater world in Litchfield County, the prestigious Taft School acted quickly in putting in place its protocols for dealing with such a situation.

"In accordance with our school policy, as soon as we learned of the arrest, Doyle was placed on administrative leave," Susan Henebry, Taft's Assistant Business Manager for Human Resources and School Counsel, said in a statement. "He will remain on administrative leave pending an investigation of the charges. We will cooperate fully with authorities in this investigation."

"There is no indication, at this time, that any of our students were involved or at risk at any time," the statement said.

The bio page on the Taft website says that Doyle has taught at the school since 1989.

Early Tuesday morning, the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested and charged Doyle with a federal criminal complaint for the receipt and distribution and possession of child pornography, according to a release sent by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The criminal complaint alleges that on Oct. 24 and 27, a law enforcement agent logged into a publically available Internet file sharing program and downloaded images of child pornography from shared directories maintained by Doyle, according to the release.

Doyle was arrested at his home in Litchfield. Law enforcement agents also seized computers, thumb drives and related computer components from his home and his job.

According to an affidavit from the U.S. District Court, Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force Officer Jeffrey Suchy, who is assigned to the New Haven Division of the FBI, signed into a publically available peer-to-peer file sharing program while working in an undercover capacity and was given access by a user later identified as Doyle.

The investigator selected 17 images and proceeded to download them, the affidavit said.

The affidavit describes five of the 17 images, and one of common theme is that the photos show white males under the age of 16 or 12 with their genitals exposed.

On Nov. 27, a federal search and seizure warrant was sought and obtained, according to an affidavit. During the execution of the warrant, Doyle admitted to using, for the last two years, the publically available peer-to-peer file sharing program that was the subject of law enforcement's investigation.

"He admitted to downloading child pornography images from other users, as well as offering images for other users to download," according to the affidavit.

Suchy's primary duty is to identify, investigate and assist in the prosecution of the people who violate federal laws involving crimes against children, including violations pertaining to the production, distribution and receipt and possession of child pornography.

Suchy is assigned to the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, a multi-agency unit tasked with investigating various crimes related to the sexual exploitation of children including crimes related to the distribution and receipt of child pornography over the Internet.

The charges Doyle faces carry a minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge for the possession of child pornography carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the release.

Among Doyle's community theater activities in the region were projects at the historic Warner Theatre in Torrington. The Warner's executive director, John Bonanni, said Doyle has had periodic association with the theater over at least 10 years.

"He was one of the founding members of the Warner Theatre Stage Company, that is the community theater unit of the Warner Theatre," said Bonanni.

Doyle's principal association came in the form of a director or scenic artist, according to Bonanni.

"The situation really forfeits his presence at the Warner Theatre moving forward," a statement from the Warner said.

"At this stage of the game, it's an accusation not a conviction. Our primary concern is to serve the community of Warner Theatre and to maintain a trusting relationship."